The History of Us
by saiyuri-dahlia
Summary: When Shad is assigned as his tutor, Link is less than thrilled but it's either learn from him or get cut from the baseball team. If he wasn't stuck on this assignment with him, he would never hang out with such a dork but maybe a little time stuck together is just what these two young men need... Modern AU. Link/Shad.
1. Chapter 1

Story Title: The History of Us

Disclaimer: Still do not own Twilight Princess.

Author's Notes: And in my never-ending quest of providing as many Shad/Link fics as I can, we now have a Modern AU. I've had this first chapter written for a while but held it back for some time. I'm posting it now just to see if there is interest and just because there needs to be more Shad/Link.

As a note, I don't know much about baseball. I tried to do research so I could get a few basic terms I wanted right but I don't think I absorbed anything properly. But it's not exactly the focus of the story (no, not at all) but I do admit to any wrong information.

Thanks for reading.

-o-

Chapter One: Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Sidelined

-o-

He was an all-star. Destined for the Majors, the Hyrulean Royals no doubt. Classmates and rival schools alike said his time at bat was truly impressive, terrifying, and outstanding to watch. Link had heard it all and more. His athletic prowess was a part of the regular talk in the halls. He was Castle Town High's greatest hitter since the school's inception. And he was only a sophomore. His fellow teammates stared in awe and the other schools trembled at the prospect he still had a few years on the team and that he could actually _improve_ in that time.

Well, not anymore. He could kiss his remaining years on the baseball team or even just being able to play in the next game goodbye if he didn't raise his history grade to the bare minimum. Fast and soon.

In the teachers' offices, Link sat slumped forward, his head lying on his History teacher's desk, and stared at his most recent test results. There was more red on his paper than on the Din Dynamites' uniforms. Unable to bear the sight of it a moment longer, Link closed his eyes. The words of a student announcer at his last (and it was his last) game echoed in his ears, the guy's words asking the world if there was anything that could stop Link. Indeed, there was only one thing that could stop him.

_And here we have it,_ Link made a soft groan into the mahogany._ My greatest, darkest enemy, destined to be locked in mortal battle with for all eternity…History. _

Goddesses, he sucked at history.

His teacher, Mr. Auru, stood facing the window, without a doubt in one of his deep in thought poses as he tried to come up with a plan that would accomplish the impossible—allow Link to stay on the team and miraculously transform him into a student of bare average understanding of Hyrule's long and complex history. Link figured it would be easier for the old but spry man to climb an erupting Death Mountain than to succeed at saving his meager GPA.

Link hated cheating but a small part of him wished Mr. Auru just gave him a pass. It certainly would have been easier for them both (and the team) if he did. But Mr. Auru was a stern but fair man. While a good many of his teachers would have immediately offered the pass (especially if Link's grades were as awful as this in their classes), there was no way Mr. Auru was about to resort to such lows. One thing Link knew for certain—the only way his grade was going to meet requirement was if he worked really, really, _really_ hard to raise it.

Link lifted his forehead just slightly up and a bit back and then sharply slammed his head against the desk.

He _hated_ history.

"Mister Link, I have considered several ways of correcting our problem but truthfully they all come down to effort," Mr. Auru said, his words sounding grim, no matter how nice he tried to be. "There is no special treatment that can benefit you better than the reward of hard work so I have asked and been allowed to give you a test. Your grade and your future on the team will be determined by how well you perform on this test."

If a history test was all that stood between him and ever playing in another game, Link started rehearsing his goodbyes to his team and the world of baseball.

"So you know, this test will not be like anything I have given you before. It will be harder, longer, and cover everything we have so far—"

_Great. And we both know how wonderful I am on regular tests, _Link thought, trying to avoid the glaring seven percent grade headlining his test paper. _Gee, I can't wait to fail the Super Final Boss Mega Ultra Sparkle-tastic history test as well…_

"Since the test will take longer to complete than my class time permits, you will be taking the test after school. You have two weeks from today to study."

"Thank you, sir," Link said unenthusiastically, forcing himself to sit up correctly and to give a small proper bow in his seat. "I promise to do my best." He knew Mr. Auru was giving him a favor but it still felt like a punishment. Or a death sentence, at least where it pertained to his baseball career.

"I'm seeing to it that you do just that," Mr. Auru said.

Confused by what he meant, Link watched the old man walk to the door. Fairly confident that nothing could ever help him and was just waiting for Mr. Auru to dismiss him, Link turned back around in his seat and tried not to look down at the gruesome murder scene of red across his test.

Auru spoke to someone outside briefly—at least Link thought he had heard a second voice, albeit a very quiet one—and then led the other person inside and directed that person to stand by Link. Shooting a quick look over, Link saw Auru's guest was a student, a strangely dressed nerdy young man with glasses, to be exact.

"Link, this is Shad. You might recognize him from class," Mr. Auru said, as the young man smiled at him and gave him a small polite bow.

"Nope," Link said frankly.

"Well, perhaps that is not to be unexpected…" Shad said, faintly laughing out of nervousness, Link guessed. "On account we do sit more than a few seats behind and several rows to the right of one another. I say, we practically sit on opposite ends of the classroom."

"Are you a foreign exchange student?" Link asked, his stare flattening.

"Heavens no, I am not. I have lived in Castle Town all my life," Shad said and then blinked in curiosity. "Umm, pardon me, but why ever do you ask?"

"Because you talk funny."

Shad stared back in surprise, mouth open. "I-I say, I-I do not!"

Link's disbelief did not go away. In fact, adding to his unconvinced stare, he raised his eyebrow at a questioning slant. And that seemed to annoy the peculiarly-accented boy more and forced him to explain himself at first before swiftly switching to reprimanding Link for being quite rude toward him and at their first true introduction to one another nonetheless.

"Boys, please," Mr. Auru called, lowering his hands in a definitive please-settle-down gesture. "Link, much as I'm positive you're not thrilled by our arrangements, it might be wise of you to show some civility. After all, Shad will be your tutor for the next two weeks."

Link immediately scooted his chair back and shot up from it. "You really think he's going to help me at all? Why don't you make it easy and not waste anyone's time and just fail me already? I get it! I'm an idiot at history. So long baseball. I'll get over it," Link said, his voice steadily raising with anger and promising that he wasn't about to get over anything anytime soon.

"Link..." Mr. Auru was calm. "I do not value taking the easy road. I do not care what is convenient, for myself or for you. I do what is right. I know you can do this. You have the determination and I know that when you're motivated you'll succeed. You just have to want it hard enough to work for it. And Shad will be there to help you in your studies."

"I say, it would be my pleasure to assist you. We will have your grade up to standard in tip-top time, I promise you," Shad chimed in.

Shooting a hard, level stare at the boy, Link snatched his test paper off Mr. Auru's desk and held it to Shad's face. "This is my last test score. And honestly, it's one of my better."

"Oh dear…" And then realizing what he had said, Shad quickly apologized. "I-I mean…uh…please forgive me. Terribly rude of me, that was."

"Nah, you're just seeing what a waste of time I really am," Link said as he crinkled his paper into a ball, stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, and headed for the door. "Thanks Mr. Auru, sir, for trying but what you're trying to do is fantasy and I want to live in reality."

"Pardon me, Link—" Shad said, no doubt trying to convince him otherwise but Link wanted to hear none of it.

"Not gonna happen!" Link said as he swung the teachers' offices door closed behind him. Why was he the only one who could see how stupid this was? And shouldn't he be the expert on how well he could learn history? Sure, Mr. Auru thought he could do more because he was a teacher—he was paid to believe kids could learn.

But that Shad boy, he didn't know him. What gave him the right to think Link could do better? What made that nerd think he could teach him? Link knew he sucked at history. Period. He didn't need to torture himself and waste both their time trying to learn what just would not stick in Link's head.

"Useless," Link grumbled to himself as he headed off to his last practice and to deliver the grim news to his coach and teammates.


	2. Chapter 2

Story Title: The History of Us

Disclaimer: Still do not own Twilight Princess.

Author's Notes: Thanks to Electricblue, di1682, and Anon for reviewing.

Originally, Kafei was going to be Link's teammate/closest friend but after a talk with fellow Shad/Link fan, Kit, it came to my attention that Ashei needed to be in this story. Truthfully, Kafei's dialogue didn't sound like him but came across as more like Ashei anyway, so Ashei has supplanted Kafei's role. And actually she's become more important to this story than Kafei ever would've been so the change was for the better.

For anyone wondering why this Link acts a little different from the standard Link because the Hero hasn't been needed in millennia so the Hero's unrivaled determination isn't as strong with him—after all, this Link's goal is to play baseball and his 'Ganondorf' is a history test. It also doesn't help that since the Hero hasn't been needed, all the heroic Links' stories have been reduced to fairy tales and myths. Woe have the mighty have fallen…

As always, thanks for reading.

-o-

Chapter Two: Do Not Squander This Opportunity

-o-

Shad could not be positive if he could call Link ungrateful, on account they actually had not sat down at a single study session yet but the stubborn and dismissive boy was absolutely antagonistic about their whole tutorial arrangement. It rather confused him (and Mr. Auru as well) as to why he was fighting his help and insisted he could not be taught. Yes, his test score was the lowest Shad had ever seen but that only meant to him more room for improvement. Link only saw it as proof of the futility of their endeavor.

Shad's hopes were not as cynical, however, and he tried before and after their one shared class to talk to him and work out their schedules—because little as his peers believed Shad did have a life and it was on a schedule and he did not wish for it to clash with Link's obvious pre-engagements—but Link had ignored him on both occasions. He had ignored him some more in the hallways and again at lunch where Link's company had shot their usual ridiculing comments at him as he stood there and tried to gain his attention until he at last stormed off in aggravation and hurt at a particularly vile sting.

Shad had tried again to meet up with him before practice but to no success then either. So Shad waited in the stands, very much uncomfortable and feeling out of place. The students around him where not his usual company—in fact most students were not his usual company since no one was ever in Shad's company. However, he had given his word to Mr. Auru that he would have Link prepared and Shad was not a young man who went against his word, so there he waited, looking about nervously and hoping no one noticed his presence.

In time, it was Link's turn to step up to bat and Shad noticed two things. First, Link was a southpaw (which, incidentally, was the only baseball term Shad knew) and second, it was the first time all day that Link finally looked happy. Whenever Shad had approached him, he had immediately either shown irritation or disinterest (or both, one leading toward the other) at him. Of course, if he caught sight of him in the stands, Shad had no doubt he would have switched to either harsh expression but for now he was relaxed and smiling.

Wearing a noticeable knowing smirk, Ashei, the only girl on the boys' team, tossed him a simple fastball and with a mighty swing, ball cracking like thunder against the wooden bat, Link sent the poor ball flying out of the field and quite possibly halfway into the stratosphere.

Shad had to admit he was impressed and a little frightened. Even if he was not one to pay mind to sports, he had overheard how good Link was. He had taken the hearsay and gossipers' opinions for their worth since he never thought he would ever see his skill for himself but having done so now, he could say that perhaps the hearsay had underestimated how proficient (and potentially dangerous) Link was with a bat.

And Link was really good. Shad could almost understand his disappointment, frustration, and anger at possibly never playing the sport he loved and was truly good at again. Still it perplexed him as to why he wasn't fighting to save himself more, why he wasn't embracing every opportunity to keep his place on the team, why he wasn't eager for his tutorial assistance…

"Oi, Link!" the coach called. "Ease off, kid! School's not gonna pay for more if you keep knocking all our balls out."

Link grinned and nodded back and everyone could tell he was laughing. Flipping his bat in the air and catching it one handed, Link readied himself back into batting position. From then on the rest of his hits managed to stay just within the field, though one did strike a teammate square in the chest and if it wasn't for the fact the boy had Goron ancestry, he would have suffered much more than a perfectly round contusion and the air knocked out of him.

After practice, Shad made his way to catch up with Link and found him walking in the company of his chatting teammates and associates. Shad did not like groups. Approaching groups always meant more people to laugh at him, to insult him, and the potential of being attacked in a greater number. Power rested in numbers but Shad never had anyone else but himself at his side.

Still he had a duty and promise to uphold so Shad swallowed his nerves, raised his head high, and hurried toward them.

"Link! Excuse me, Link!" he called, growing winded. He was not a sprinter. "I need to talk to you! About our arrangement! Link, please!"

He had requested Link's attention but the only one that looked over their shoulder at him was the large boy with Goron ancestry.

"Scat, get out of here," he said, swiping his large hand through the air. "No one wants to talk to you."

Even though the Goron boy intimidated him and he knew that one punch to the face from him would leave him in desperate need of facial reconstruction surgery or in an indefinite coma, he was not here to talk to him. Bless the Goddesses, the Goron boy was not his pupil.

"P-Pardon me, h-however I must speak to Link," he said and finally the rest of the group paused to listen to him. Link did not look happy, had his arms crossed over his chest, and looked obstinately off to the right but at least they were face to face at last. "I need to speak with you so we can organize our schedules to coincide with one another's and arrange possible times for our tutorials. Also I believe we should proceed to the library and promptly begin our first session."

"What is he talking about, yeah?" Ashei, eyebrow raised in confusion, asked Link.

There was still an ever-present twinge in his chest as Shad recalled being close childhood friends once with Ashei. Of course, that had been before they reached middle school when she suddenly started ignoring him and hanging out with the very kids she used to defend him against for some absolutely out-of-the-blue reason she had never properly explained to him. The fact that she had become interested in sports and he had poured himself into his studies had not helped their growing rift. He still missed her company and wished sometimes they were still friends like they once were, especially now that he had somehow wound up the universal outcast at their school.

Link made a loud defiant snort and explained to his friends, "I suck at history so to stay on the team, Auru is giving me a test and I have to study with him."

"Ha! You have to hang out with Scat!" the Goron boy shouted and gave Link's shoulders a playful shake as the rest of their group erupted into laughter and smirks.

As Link's teammates and associates had their jollies and plentiful ribbing at Link, Shad was not amused. He reviled the nickname he had inadvertently bequeathed to himself—blast his nature to assist anyone who inquired him of his vocabulary knowledge. If he had known his offering of intelligence was going to be used against him, he would have remained silent.

'Scat' was short for scatterbrained, however the word had other appropriate alternate meanings, such as 'to shoo away' for obvious reasons or the singing of improvised, meaningless syllables since his peers considered everything Shad had to say nonsensical and meaningless. It was also another word for excrement, a fact that might not have been widely known but was definitely not lost on Shad.

It also pinched on Shad's last nerve that his unfortunate nickname was more widely known and used by his peers than his actual name. Even teachers took a moment to reread over their roster in surprise when he answered to Shad.

"Excuse me," Shad said. "I say, unless you have some other pressing matters to attend to at the present time, I do believe we should carry on to the library. Is that all right with you, old boy?"

"Sorry, but my afternoon's full," Link said. "Lots of stuff to do."

Ashei snorted. "Yea, girl-watch in the food court and stuff yourself with burgers." She smirked as Link glared back at her. She then nudged him toward Shad and said, "Go study, Link. I know you're not thrilled and I don't blame you but this is important. To you and us. We'll catch you some other time, yeah?"

Shad watched Link watch his teammates leave. He noted the scowling boy made no attempt to hide the fact he would rather be with his associates than stand beside him.

"Hey," Ashei called. "I'll swing by and toss you a burger so you better study hard, yeah?"

"Three!" Link shouted back. At least he showed some happiness at the promise of food.

"Two!" Ashei replied. "If you're lucky, yeah?"

When Link's teammates were far enough away and were clearly no longer able to speak with Link, Shad supposed it was all right for them to head onward to the library.

"So, old boy, shall we?" Shad asked, smiling, and gestured in the general direction of the library.

His arms still crossed over his chest and his expression like a petulant child's, Link stormed off toward the library with Shad hastening to keep up with him a step or two behind.

-o-

Head on the table with his textbook standing up in front of him, Link sat three-fourths of the way asleep while Shad wrote on the whiteboard and jabbered on about something that happened centuries ago that Link honestly could have cared less about. It didn't help that the guy sounded so happy and clearly liked history, which was proof enough to Link that he was an alien from another planet trying (and failing) to blend in with normal society.

Because how else did he know and actually understand Hyrule's history if he hadn't studied it for thousands of years? And then there was the funny way he talked, despite his claim that he had lived in Castle Town all his life…

The sad part was that even thinking Shad was an alien didn't make listening to him interesting enough. It ticked Link off that he had to be here in the library's study room, instead of at the mall. He could be having fun. He could be _eating_. Goddesses, he was _starving_! He didn't care if the strange names Shad spoke were people or places—all he could think about was food. And Shad hadn't let him get something from the vending machine, claiming it would be a distraction. Joke was on him—Link couldn't understand history even with a full stomach and he definitely wouldn't on an empty one.

_Ashei, you better not forget…_he groaned.

"Link, sit up. Slouching ruins your posture," Shad said, taking a seat beside him, and then laid Link's textbook down onto its spine. "And please do not stand your textbook in such a fashion. It is disrespectful to the book."

"It's a book," Link said derisively as he begrudgingly sat up.

Shad paused, his jaw tight, before he took a deep breath and then released it. He then smiled. Rather like a trying-to-be-understanding adult getting ready to explain to a stupid child where they had went wrong would.

"Now I will advise you that you do not proceed along with this discussion as you will no doubt discover yourself unable to gain any success with your counterpoint argument and I, for one, would rather not squander our time on a fruitless endeavor. Am I understood, old boy?"

Link was about to say if he didn't want to waste time, he should give up tutoring him but then Shad had said something about fruit and Link forgot what he was going to say in favor of making a fruit salad in his head. Link guessed he had agreed with Shad because Shad was soon trying to tutor him some more.

"Can you at least tell me the year Ordon Province officially became a part of Hyrule?" Shad asked. "Mister Auru discussed it in class today. Now that you are aware of the dire circumstances you are bound within, certainly you presented some meager keen attention toward today's lecture?"

Link gave some thought and scoured his memory for the answer but wasn't certain by the end so he decided to ask, "Can you put mangos in fruit salad? I hope so because I do like mangos."

Shad tilted his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. It was another deep breath length before he said, "To answer your question, yes, I do believe you can put mangos in fruit salad if one wishes to and now that I have answered your question, I would most appreciate if you answered mine—"

"What about cherimoya?" Link interrupted. "I've never eaten one before. What's it taste like?"

"Link, quit thinking about fruit," Shad said, his voice measured and stern," and inform me the year Ordon Province became a part of Hyrule proper. I will permit you a clue. It was a year after the end of what became poetically-termed 'The Twilight Conflict'. Add a year to the year that war ended and there is your answer."

"I don't care. That was a long time ago," Link whined as he slouched forward and laid his head back down on the table. "And I'm hungry. You didn't let me get a snack."

"Please inform me this is some sort of obfuscation on your part," Shad said without a drop of amusement. "And if so, I hope you are thoroughly amused by now so you may please drop the performance and deliver a cessation to my growing vexation and permit me to teach you something by the end of this session."

"Y'know, it's no wonder why no one talks to you," Link said wryly. "No one can get what the hell you're saying."

Shad stared back at him, eyes wide and visibly affronted. "I say, it is a wonder to me how you persist in insulting the very person trying to assist you. In general, this is not something the rest of society would consider civil or very intelligent."

"So you finally see that I'm stupid. About time," Link said and then his head caught up with his mouth. "…Wait, did you just call me stupid?"

Swallowing his air sharply at the boy's glare, Shad shook his head no. "Those were not my words at all, old boy. I do believe you are intelligent and capable of learning anything you seek. However, I believe your actions of lately have been deplorable and quite counterproductive. It is generally unwise to antagonize your tutor, especially someone under your circumstances. In summary, I believe your actions are unintelligent. You, old boy, however, are perfectly capable of learning anything you seek."

_He talks like a walking term paper_, Link grumbled and gritted his teeth in annoyance. In the Goddesses' name, he just wanted to cover his ears whenever the geek talked. And he talked and talked. Simple yes or no did not exist for this guy. No, he just went on and on. And if that wasn't annoying enough, the guy had a habit of using words Link never even knew existed, much less what they meant. Goddesses, the guy gave him a headache.

"Could you…" Link said, tense, as he slowly ran his hands through his hair, "…for once in your life, talk like a normal person?"

"My vocabulary is not abnormal at all. These words exist for our utilization and is it my fault your comprehension is deficient?" Shad said, a hardness in his tone and frown, as he raised his head high. "Fine then. Why do I not use a more familiar folksy phrase so you may finally 'get' me? Do not bite the hand that feeds you."

Link blew an audible snort of air. "_Feed me?" _he scoffed. "You haven't let me eat a thing!"

"That is not the point, old boy!" Shad ran a hand across his face in frustration. "Are your auditory sensors functioning optimally? Or does your entire cognitive process revolve around food and its consumption?"

"When I'm hungry, it does," Link said.

"Then we better fix that, yeah?" Ashei said.

Link looked over and saw Ashei standing in the doorway to the small, enclosed study rooms adjacent to the library but what he noticed first and foremost was the greasy burger bag in her hand.

"Yes! Finally!" Link grinned as he shot up from his seat. Ashei tossed him the bag and within seconds of catching it, he was already tearing into his first burger.

"Hey, forgetting something, yeah?" Ashei said and when Link failed to understand what she was referring to, she rubbing her fingers together in a money gesture. Finally, he caught on, grabbed his wallet, and handed over the rupees.

"Come now, old boy, at least act as if you have seen food before," Shad said, arms crossed over his chest, as he watched Link dive in. "Not that garbage you are wolfing down vigorously can be classified as such."

Link shot Shad a sharp glare and then went on with eating, purposely getting sauce and bits all over his face just to annoy his so-called tutor.

"At least now that you are satiated, do you believe it would not be impossible for us to proceed onward with your supplementary history education? I would prefer to cease this first session with some accomplishment made, do you not agree?"

"Ashei, do me a favor and go find me the 'Scat to Modern Hylian dictionary'?" Link said.

"Sure, I think I see it right here," Ashei said and while Link was more focused on unwrapping his second burger, she walked over and twisted his ears.

"What was that for?" Link said, pain evident in his voice, as he raised his hands to protect his aching pointy ears.

"I was kind of hoping that's where your reset button was," Ashei said, smirking. "Figured a reset would help you take this seriously, yeah?"

"I am taking this seriously!"

"I say, your interpretation of the word and its actual definition are worlds apart, old boy. Perhaps a dictionary is in order so that you may be taught the proper usage of that term," Shad said.

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Link said, mid-bite.

"First of all, never speak with your mouth full," Shad said sternly. "And second, while indeed my opinion was not inquired, I will not stand idly by and allow you to deface proper language. You have not at all taken my tutorial seriously and, in fact, all you have done is whine and sulk like a petulant child."

"Maybe you're a terrible teacher," Link grumbled.

"Maybe you need to try harder," Ashei shot back, earning a glare from Link. "Don't even start with me, Link. You're being a crybaby and it's time you got over it. We need you and you need to study to stay with us, yeah?"

Link turned his head to the side and snorted defiantly.

"Think of it like this. Bases are loaded, it's the final inning, we need a homerun and you're on bat. Ball is coming toward you and you got two options. So do you cucco out and lose it for us or do you swing the bat? What do you do, yeah?"

Lowering his half-eaten burger and closing his mouth, Link stared firmly down at nothing in particular as he thought.

"I swing the bat," he finally said.

Ashei smirked. "'Bout time you do it already, yeah?"

Link heard her leave soon after but couldn't pull his mind away from what he had just reluctantly agreed to. He knew Ashei was right and, though he didn't want to admit to it, Shad was right. He didn't have much choice in the matter. He needed to pass Auru's test and the only way he was going to do that was with Shad's help. He certainly wouldn't be able to do it alone.

Not that he was looking forward to his tutoring. Right now, Link considered it a victory and a show of good behavior if he didn't fall asleep five seconds after Shad started speaking. Link wasn't sure if learning the stuff he needed to know or putting up with his super-nerdy tutor and figuring out what he was saying half the time would be the hardest part for him to deal with.

But it was still either head up to bat and swing or walk away and Link did not walk away, much as he rather be doing anything else in the world than studying history with Shad.

-o-

While Link was clearly occupied in thought, Shad excused himself from the study room and hurried. After all, there was an expression of gratitude needed to be said and Ashei would not remain for long near the library.

He found her just outside the main doors. "Excuse me, Ashei—"

She stopped and turned around suddenly, her stare and voice was sharp. "Whatever you're gonna say, don't. It's not that big a deal and I did it for the good of the team so don't think too much into it, yeah?"

Although her quick words and harsh tone threw him off momentarily, Shad quickly composed himself. "W-Well, truthfully, I was only going to say how I appreciate immensely for your—"

"Hey, didn't you hear me? I said don't say it," she said as she marched forward and invaded his personal space. "I guess your Hylian ears can hear the Goddesses but can't hear the girl right in front of your face, yeah?"

"It has been a long time since you have ever stood right in front of my face, my old friend," Shad said.

Her eyes widening with honest shock, Ashei stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. She became noticeably uncomfortable and darted her stare as she attempted to avoid his eyes. Her hands went from resting on her hips to alternately rubbing the back of her neck in discomfort.

"Yea, well…it's been a long time since you wet the bed," Ashei said wryly, her eyes fixed on the library's tile front entrance. "We both have things we don't do anymore, yeah?"

"In defense of myself, I only did that once and you know the reason why," Shad said, trying not to sound annoyed as a hard edge crept into his voice. "Really, Ashei, the first time you and I have ever spoken face to face in years and you want to take low jabs at me? Utilizing information that you only know because of our once close friendship, might I remind you?"

It was several moments as Ashei stood staring off to the side as she sulked and stubbornly refused to admit Shad was right.

"Sorry," she at long last said. "…I honestly figured that I would forget most of our friendship, that the memories would just go away, yeah?"

A sharp pain jolted through Shad as he heard Ashei say that she had wanted to forget their childhood friendship. And then he remembered that Ashei never could express her feelings well and whenever conversations called for her to say what she truly felt, she typically defended herself with a harsh bravado.

"However, the memories did not go away," Shad said.

Ashei did not say anything and did not need to as she briefly made eye contact with him and then sent her stare down. He was right. Much as she had said she had wanted to forget, she had not. She had still held onto her memories. Shad had always thought she had moved on from their friendship, that she had cast aside their bond without thought or heart as quickly as she had severed it. So it seemed that was not entirely the case.

"So…Link…" she said, still refusing to look at him. "I know he's being a pain in the ass but try not to take anything personally, okay? He's just being pissy and lazy. Mostly lazy. He'll get over himself soon enough. And if not, I'll twist his ears again if I have to, yeah?""

"Very well then," Shad said, softly smiling. "Thank you, Ashei."

"You're lucky I don't twist your ears for that, yeah?" she said, a slight playful edge to her smirk, as she turned to leave.

_Though I doubt we will be sitting together at lunch or spending time together outside of class like we once did, _Shad thought, watching Ashei rush out of the library before heading back to make a second attempt to impart Link some knowledge of Hyrule's history. _I must say, it is comforting for me to know that she has not completely suppressed all memory of our childhoods together. How ever miniscule that part within her may be, there is still some piece of her that places value in our youthful yesteryears._

…_It is more than I ever believed she still possessed._


End file.
